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Migrant crisis: UK must do even more to help refugees - George Osborne Migrant crisis: UK must do even more to help refugees - George Osborne
(35 minutes later)
Britain "needs to do even more" to help refugees from Syria, Chancellor George Osborne has said, as he called for a "fundamental rethink" of how the UK uses its international aid budget.Britain "needs to do even more" to help refugees from Syria, Chancellor George Osborne has said, as he called for a "fundamental rethink" of how the UK uses its international aid budget.
Mr Osborne told the BBC money from the £12bn budget could be diverted to councils taking in refugees. Mr Osborne told the BBC money from the £12bn budget could be diverted to councils helping to house refugees.
Britain would approach the "crisis on our doorstep" with "head as well as heart", he added.
The PM has said the UK will take in "thousands" more refugees from Syria.The PM has said the UK will take in "thousands" more refugees from Syria.
Mr Osborne also said ministers should make the argument for military action against Islamic State militants there.
Drowned boy
European countries are dealing with a surge of people fleeing conflicts in the Middle East and Africa, particularly from Syria and Afghanistan, and abuses in Eritrea.European countries are dealing with a surge of people fleeing conflicts in the Middle East and Africa, particularly from Syria and Afghanistan, and abuses in Eritrea.
Speaking on the Andrew Marr Show, Mr Osborne confirmed that David Cameron would be making a Commons statement on the refugee crisis on Monday. Calls for the UK to bring in more refugees have intensified in recent days, particularly following the publication of a picture of the body of a drowned three-year-old Syrian boy washed up on a Turkish beach.
He also said the government needed to make the argument for military intervention against Islamic State militants in Syria. Speaking on the Andrew Marr Show, Mr Osborne would not confirm how many people the UK would take in, but said Prime Minister David Cameron would be making a Commons statement on the issue on Monday.
'Desperate' people Mr Osborne said the UK would focus on helping refugees directly from Syria.
Calls for the UK to take in more refugees have intensified after the publication of a picture of the body of a drowned three-year-old Syrian boy, Alan Kurdi, washed up on a Turkish beach. He said: "While helping people in desperate need, we should not encourage more families to make that desperately dangerous journey across the Mediterranean and so we think we should go directly to these refugee camps and help people and bring people from those camps to the United Kingdom."
Ms Osborne would not confirm how many people the UK would take in, but said it would look at bringing refugees directly from Syria, rather than taking in those who had already travelled to the EU. He went on: "We need to make an assessment of what our public services and infrastructure can support.
Under existing schemes, the government offers financial support for Syrians resettled in the UK for 12 months.
Mr Osborne said: "While helping people in desperate need, we should not encourage more families to make that desperately dangerous journey across the Mediterranean and so we think we should go directly to these refugee camps and help people and bring people from those camps to the United Kingdom.
"We need to make an assessment of what our public services and infrastructure can support.
"But let me say this, the foreign aid budget we have - and we've increased this foreign aid budget - can provide the support in the first year for these refugees, can help local councils with things like housing costs.""But let me say this, the foreign aid budget we have - and we've increased this foreign aid budget - can provide the support in the first year for these refugees, can help local councils with things like housing costs."
Under existing schemes, the government offers financial support for Syrians resettled in the UK for 12 months.
'Strong case' for action
On the possibility of UK military intervention in Syria, Mr Osborne said the government was unlikely to put forward another Commons vote unless it knew it was likely to win parliamentary support.On the possibility of UK military intervention in Syria, Mr Osborne said the government was unlikely to put forward another Commons vote unless it knew it was likely to win parliamentary support.
In August 2013 MPs rejected UK military action in Syria by 285-272. In August 2013 MPs rejected UK military action in Syria by 285-272. Mr Osborne described it as "one of the worst decisions the House of Commons has ever made".
Mr Osborne said there was a "strong case" to be fighting the Islamic State group in Syria as well as in Iraq. He said: "Personally I think, the prime minister thinks, the defence secretary and the foreign secretary - we all think there is a strong case, and indeed an argument around coherence, that if you're tackling Isis (IS) on one side of the Iraqi border you should be attacking on the other side in Syria."
But Labour's shadow home secretary and leadership contender, Yvette Cooper, said she took a "cautious view" on whether the party would support UK military action in Syria.
Speaking to Sky News, she added: "The big question for all of us should be where is the diplomatic effort coming from to get Syria, to get Russia, Iran, the Gulf states, the US, [the] EU, all pulling together to try to find a long-term sustainable solution."